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to tarry

to tarry

7 7.5
To stay in a place longer than expected
  • verb
  • /ˈtɛri/
  • Literature
translation icon : tardar
  • Did she tarry to be sure her last request was honored?
  • tarry long

He rebukes them and says, O ye of little faith, how long must I tarry with thee?

Examples

  • I thought we might go prowling the stores afterward, but Whitey couldn't tarry.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • If not, we'll tarry here a while until he does arrive.

  • So we must not tarry any longer .

  • - My love and Faith, of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee.

  • For life does not go backward nor tarry with yesterday.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • She wanted to tarry a while for Cadi's sake.

  • As always, we recommend that you don't tarry in buying your tickets because showings sell out.

    Blog text (16)
  • Our leaders cautioned that although the scene was photogenic, we should not tarry.

    Academic text (2011)
  • As the poet Gibran observed, "Life goes not backward, nor tarries with yesterday."

    Academic text (2010)
  • We should not tarry at the station any longer if we want to catch the next train.

Synonyms

to hang around
vsto tarry
  • Informal
407 2.0

To stay in a place without doing anything important

involves staying longer than expected often with an implied delay
to linger
vsto tarry
207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

stays longer than expected often by delaying departure
to loiter
vsto tarry
26 5.4

To stand or wait in a place without a clear reason

is about staying longer than expected rather than aimlessness
to overstay
vsto tarry
19 4.5

To stay longer than expected or allowed

means staying longer than expected without implying rule breaking
to lounge
vsto tarry
12 2.7

To sit or lie in a place and relax

focuses on delaying departure rather than relaxed posture
to mill around
vsto tarry
  • Informal
9 3.7

Move around slowly in a place without any clear purpose, often in a group

involves lingering by staying longer rather than active wandering
to loaf
vsto tarry
7 6.2

To spend time doing little or nothing instead of working

refers to staying longer than expected often by deliberate delay
to mill about
vsto tarry
7 5.3

To move around a place without a clear reason, often in a group

is more about remaining longer in one place rather than moving aimlessly
to mess about
vsto tarry
  • UK
3 5.9

To spend time somewhere doing nothing special

shares idle delay but stresses purposeless activity less than staying
to outstay
vsto tarry
3 5.5

To stay somewhere longer than you are welcome

describes staying late but focuses on personal delay rather than imposition
to linger too long
vsto tarry
2 4.6

Stay somewhere longer than is safe or needed

means staying longer than expected but not always excessive
to lollygag
vsto tarry
  • Informal
2 9.5

To waste time instead of doing the work you need

means remaining longer than expected but without playful dawdling
to footle
vsto tarry
  • UK
1 9.9

Move around without a clear plan or purpose

is about staying longer than expected, not about wandering

Antonyms

1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

How Long

to linger
207 3.7
to tarry
  • Literature
7 7.5
to loiter
26 5.4
to pause
346 1.0

Surface Forms

tarry infinitive
tarried past
tarried past participle
tarrying present participle
tarries third person singular

Etymology

Tarry as a verb comes from an old French verb tarder meaning 'to delay' and is related to the English word tardy. So to tarry is to stay longer than expected or to be slow to leave.